The Best Neck Pillow For Sleeping

 How To Find The Best Neck Pillow For Sleeping

If you are looking for solutions to maximize the potential for neck health during sleep, you need a pillow with certain qualities finding best neck pillow for sleeping. This is often a personal choice as conditions that affect the cervical spine are varied, and the same condition may manifest symptoms differently depending on condition, age, other health factors…

best neck pillow for sleepingWhile certain factors lend to better ergonomic principles during sleep, finding the best neck pillow for sleeping must also factor the essentials of getting a good night’s sleep. It is often seen with braces and supports, that there is a compromise between comfort and support.

Therefore, the best neck pillow for sleeping may not necessarily be the most comfortable, requiring a period of accommodation or adjusting to a new sleeping posture. Having a good night’s rest is essential to your health, which is one reason why you should purchase a neck pillow that will help relieve postural stress, hopefully reduce pain, allow better waking motion range, while permitting the most restful and restorative sleep.

According to the most popular sleeping position, side sleeping poses particular details in order to maintain a neutral posture and minimize stress on the neck. As opposed to the back sleeping position, side sleeping requires an increase in pillow height due to the shoulders. Failure to accommodate shoulder height will result in lateral bending of the neck.

Additionally, the link between the neck and shoulders are the muscles, particularly, the trapezius. The trapezius is prone to shortening from poor posture and stress, often resulting in what is called trapezius myalgia. While improved ergonomics, muscle therapy and exercise can help resolve this condition; since the muscle is curved, a pillow should accommodate this angle to reduce undue muscular activity during sleep.

So, these are two factors in choosing the best pillow for sleeping on your side. However, in back sleeping, support for the natural curve of the cervical spine is beneficial for a neutral stress reducing posture, as well as an aid in the restoration of a military neck or straightened spine.

This necessitates a pillow that has a head cradle lower than the neck portion, with the neck portion in the shape of a curve to support the neck. A slope for the upper cervical spine helps form a natural transition for the head and neck.

The therapeutic pillow takes these factors into consideration of the design, providing the best neck pillow for sleeping according to sound anatomical and ergonomic principles. It uses a special recycled foam that is a medium/firm density to hold the shape and provide necessary support. A measuring system permits a choice of sizes to best fit your body.

Is this the best neck pillow for sleeping? According to the principles delineated above, yes. However, those who prefer a softer, more accommodating pillow may like a functional pillow made of memory foam or fiber based.

orthopedic pillow at amazon

However, there are compromises. In order to benefit properly from the pillow, you need to change positions to and from back and side sleeping. This can be challenging for some. For those who cannot, it can be counterproductive. Similarly, popular and well advertised pillows show that you must adjust the pillow according to your position. This is the case with My Pillow. It is a popular pillow, however, it does not automatically adjust to your changing positions – you have to do it or it defeats the purpose.

So, are there pillows that automatically adjust as you change positions? Yes, a water pillow will do that. The down side is that you have an initial period of setting it up to get it at the right height and firmness. May memory foam pillows have a uniform surface with contours. To a degree, they will adjust to changing positions, however, while usually very comfortable, you still need the correct size to achieve long term benefit.

Well, now the best neck pillow for sleeping is getting complicated! Yes, it is not easy to choose, however, there are options that extend into adapting the type of pillow to your neck and particular condition. This means that there may not be one best pillow; you may have to use a strategy of using two pillow types that fit your particular needs at that particular time.

Since cervical spine conditions are not static; you may have a flare-up of inflammation in arthritic conditions that require a softer, uniform surface pillow for a few nights, then you can switch back to a firmer, more ergonomic pillow. You may have a period of injury or re-injury that requires a more specific placement and support for a period of time until you can switch to a more comfortable pillow.

Conditions like degenerative disc disease, arthritis, herniated discs, and muscle strains are commonly experienced and can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep. With a combination of two pillows that can be changed as the conditions require, you can experience a better night’s sleep with less stress and pain.

So, looking to find the best neck pillow for sleeping may have to be expanded to your particular needs; starting at one that seems most appropriate, but keeping in mind that you may have to use more than one to address conditions that require changing needs.

A study in The Journal of Physical Therapy Science indicates neck pain frequently disturbs sleep and using an appropriate pillow can provide relief. The role of cervical pillows is to support the spine during sleep in a neutral positions. The back and side sleeping positions require different heights to maintain a stress relieving posture without muscle stiffness and reduced loading on the joints. The authors state, “If a person with cervical pain uses a pillow that can support his/her neck, his/her quality of sleep can be enhanced.”

Author Bio

Stephen Ornstein, D.C. has treated thousands of neck, shoulder and back conditions since graduating Sherman Chiropractic College in 1987 and during his involvement in Martial Arts. He holds certifications as a Peer Review Consultant from New York Chiropractic College, Physiological Therapeutics from National Chiropractic College, Modic Antibiotic Spinal Therapy from Dr. Hanne Albert, PT., MPH., Ph.D., Myofascial Release Techniques from Logan Chiropractic College, and learned Active Release Technique from the founder, P. Michael Leahy, DC, ART, CCSP.